''Buccinum humphreysianum'', common name Humphrey's buccinum, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Buccinidae The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Buccinidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. A ...

, the true whelks.

Description

The length of the shell varies between 40 mm and 80 mm. The ovate-conical shell is ventricose. Its color is of a reddish white, marked with undulated brown spots with red edges. The epidermis has a bright brown color. The shell is very fine and contains very close transverse striae, crossed by very fine and slightly apparent longitudinal striae. The spire is elongated, pointed and contains eight convex whorls to the spire. These are traversed sometimes by slightly prominent longitudinal folds. The aperture is very effuse, dilated outwardly and widely emarginated at its base. The outer lip is strongly arcuated.Kiener (1840). General species and iconography of recent shells : comprising the Massena Museum, the collection of Lamarck, the collection of the Museum of Natural History, and the recent discoveries of travellers; Boston :W.D. Ticknor,1837
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Distribution

This marine species has a wide distribution. It is circumboreal and also found off Japan, North America and Western Europe.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2803726 Buccinidae Gastropods described in 1824